Plus One
by Sick Of It All
Summary: One the eve of a wedding, a surprise visitor to the Summers house throws everything into a cocked hat.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

A breezy and jovial atmosphere ricocheted off the walls of the living room in the Summers house. It's blend of tasteful art and practical furniture was the recipient of many a light hearted gag and double entendre, but it did little to soothe the nerves of a certain bride-to-be who was panicking over flowers, accommodating distant relatives she had assumed were dead and last minute seating re-arrangements.

"So if we have your father sitting on the top table, where the hell are we going to put my sister? She still has that rash that she's not sure is contagious or not", said the worried voice of Miss Calendar, peppered with the usual per-marital anxiety she had once pledged not become a slave to.

"Well don't put her anywhere near me", butted in Faith as she put her arms around Buffy's lithe form as the blonde snuggled deeper into the embrace of her girfriend. They relished being able to be so open with their affection in front of both their friends and families and, ignoring the occassional gagging sound from Dawn, they couldn't be happier. Despite having to restrain themselves in such company.

"It's ok, you'll still be on the top table with us. We have to pick up the dresses tomorrow...now don't give me that look, Faith. As a bridesmaid you have to wear it", Jenny stated before she could get into yet another argument with the brunette.

"But it's all long and silky and shit. And the heels are gonna be a bitch to dance in"

"Don't worry baby, besides I'm wearing one too. We'll look awesome, I promise you", enthused Buffy trying to get her love to match her infectious level of excitement. Weddings always brought out the more extreme measures of girliness in Buffy and, ever the romantic, she couldn't wait for the sacred vows and weeping of joy that were almost demanded on such occassions.

"I guess I ain't got much choice. As long as we get to dance to some decent music", said Faith trying to bolster her indifferent facade, but whenever Buffy's soft fingers slipped between her own she couldn't help but feel a slight jolt of exhilaration.

"Can't wait to cut the rug with someone, anyone in fact, I'm no longer looking for the girl in a million, the lowest common denominator will do me", grinned Xander as he waited for a laugh. But not even a titter was to grace his joke as a reward.

"You stupid boy", said Giles but as soon as the words left his lips he knew that no-one present would understand his little quip.

"I'm just glad we have a good DJ, and not _you_ choosing the music", said Jenny with a smirk.

"Why not...ow, B watch it", hissed Faith as Buffy slid back on her lap a little more and accidentally snagged the brunette's new belly button ring which was taking it's sweet time to heal.

"Sorry baby, are you ok?", asked the blonde as she wanted, more than anything, to kiss it better. But now was _so_ not the time nor the place to be dropping feather light kisses all over the smooth body of her girlfriend.

"Yeah I'm fine", said Faith and gave Buffy a quick peck on the cheek before resuming the conversation, "So anyways, why can't I choose the music?"

"Remember that time you played that 'nice English band' to us?"

"Cradle Of Filth? Heh-heh, yeah", chuckled Faith, "I thought Dad was gonna have a stroke"

"I can't even begin to describe my feelings to that music", replied Giles.

"Who don't love Cradle?"

"Well me for one", Jenny said flatly as she flicked through the mountain of paperwork trying to find the phone number of the photographer for their big day. It was only three days away now and even though Faith and Giles had tried to help, she was single minded about the whole affair and wanted everything to be just-so.

"Yeah, I thought they were horrible too, how did Spike refer to them?", asked Buffy as she pulled off of Faith's lap to try and help Jenny only to be swatted away by a hand that smelt of almonds.

"Like two iron plated ninja dwarves battling to death in a skip whilst the singer sounded like Gollum being arse raped by a velociraptor", interjected Xander with a grin showing off his attention to detail.

"How the hell do you remember that?", asked Faith with a chuckle.

"It was the first thing I heard when I came round after our little _incident_"

"Oh...that", the Bostonian responded a little sheepishly. Though she and Xander had bonded instantly once she arrived in their sun drenched town, once he cheated on Cordelia, Faith had wandered straight up to him in the cafeteria and headbutted him, cracking his nose and loosening a tooth or two. She had got suspended for three days for that one. It was long forgotten now, but she still felt badly that her emotions had overtaken her so easily but she was a girl who despised the mistreatment of women. On the positive side though, Faith and Cordelia had bonded over her chivalry.

"It's all cool though, still not sure why Spike was in the school anyway", he shrugged back as he stole the last of the mini pizza's from Willow's plate.

"Hey that was mine", she snapped back playfully. To be honest the redhead didn't really care as she was too wrapped up in the contagious excitement radiating from everyone who had been there so long they were on the verge of being classed as squatters, loiterers or faffers.

"Spike? Is Spike coming?", asked Buffy a little put out.

"Yes, my errant nephew will be coming in tonight, if all goes to plan", said Giles with a wipe of his glasses.

"Cool, is Dru coming too?"

"Yes, I believe she will be accompanying him"

"Sweet, Dru's fun", said Faith with an wide grin.

"She's weird", stated Buffy as she really didn't get on with Spike's fiance.

"No she ain't", pouted the brunette.

"Is too"

"Is not, and I do think Dru is better than Spike"

"That's like saying a car crash is better than a housefire", Buffy snipped back.

"Girls, please. We have a lot to discuss", chided Jenny with a touch of humor, "Have you finished the cake Faith?"

"Almost, Just gotta do the frosting and made the little flower things.... I still think you should've gone for 'Jaws Eating The Boat', or the 'Darth Vader Smoking A Cigar' design, but I guess it's your choice", she shrugged back, "Most of it's in the kitchen"

"Thankyou again Joyce for letting her bake it here, we really didn't want another thing in our house as my mother will no doubt be bringing eleven suitcases for just a long weekend. Oh god, what time is it? I said we'd pick her up at the station", squeaked Jenny as she rooted round for Giles' sterling silver pocketwatch that hung from the pocket of his waistcoat.

"We have plenty of time, fear not my dear", he said in his calm, unflappable manner as he flipped his watch shut, but not before smiling softly at the engraving on the inside; 'Happy Birthday Dad, love F'.

"Ok, that's ok, panic over. Yes, thankyou Joyce, I know she can be quite the despot when it comes to kitchen activities"

"It's no problem Jenny, I like having her here, you know that", said Mrs Summers with a warm smile as she brought in yet another tray of snacks to feed the army of wedding preparers, "Who would've thought that she would be so good at cooking"

"Hey, sitting right here yo", snipped back Faith. She was proud of the chocolate creation that was forming in the Summers' house, she was certain it would be her black album.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but when you said you wanted to join the CIA, well it took us all by shock", said Joyce in that saccharine motherly tone that the brunette secretly admired and couldn't help but smile every time she heard it.

"Me too, I wasn't expecting it", said Buffy not wanting to be reminded of the slight misunderstanding on her part the first time she had heard her girlfriend's plan.

"Well you can't judge a cook by it's lover", Faith purred as Buffy blushed and tried to hide her face behind one of the Beantown native's speciality muffins."Besides, when they're on honeymoon we can make snoo-snoo"

"Faith, I know what that means", interrupted Giles as he wiped his glasses for the fortieth time in the last hour and cursing the fact that he now had his senses assaulted by cartoons and punk rock on an almost daily basis, "While we're away and you're staying with Mrs Summers there will be no...er, snoo-ing of any kind"

"But Daaaaad", Faith whined in her best Buffy imitation.

"No, Joyce's rules are the same at ours, so none of that, er...you know", he finished with a slight blush as the thought of the two girls sitting opposite him submitting to their carnal desires was one which make him shiver. Giles was still of the mindset that both Faith and Buffy were little girls and any kind of sexual activity, if he had his way, wouldn't happen for another twenty or thirty years.

"Oh, you suck, and not in a good 'Harmony-Kendall-in-the-alleyway-behind-a-porno-theater' kind of way, more in a....", Faith moaned but was cut off mid crudity. A habit that her soon-to-be stepmother had become adept at.

"Oh, Joyce, who are you bringing as your plus one?", asked Jenny as she victoriously waved about the phone number she had been looking for.

"I...I'm not sure", stammered Mrs Summers.

"What about Roy, he was nice, or ooh what about Daniel from the courthouse, you liked him didn't you?", gushed Dawn. She wanted only the best for her mother and felt guilty about her being so single, so alone, especially when both her daughters were dating.

But Buffy had noticed something a little off about her mother in recent weeks. Her demeanor had been changing, she had laughed more than in recent memory and her eldest had even caught her trying on some of her wardrobe which, as you may have summised, freaked the hell out of Buffy.

The blonde wasn't worried about the slight weight loss that had tightened her mother's over aerobicised-thighs, nor that Joyce was was currently snacking on Fruit Loops and vicodin, but there was something else. Her mother seemed...happy. Really happy. Not the kind of emotion one would expect from a woman who was now on the wrong side of forty, with two demanding daughters and a shy bladder.

Buffy knew the signs. Her mom had met someone. It would explain the constant 'art evaluations' she would have to give in LA, the flowers that appeared around the house and the pile of dead batteries that gathered in the waste paper basket in her mother's bedroom, though she vehemently denied any romantic entanglements.

But Joyce was a liar. She HAD met someone two months previously on one of her art jaunts to the city of angels. Someone she felt really connected to, something she hadn't felt in a long, long time. She was sick of all the sneaking around and clandestine meetings but she was too scared to tell her family or her friends. Something which puzzled even her.

"I just thought", started Faith with a little shock, "Are you gonna take his surname? 'Cos I still ain't, 'Faith Giles' just sounds shit, remember our little disagreement about that one"

"Vividly, I was quite impressed by your rather articulate way of protesting, despite the four letter words you used, some of which I'm sure you made up", replied the bespectacled man with a grin.

"I ain't changing shit now, it took me long enough to call him Dad instead of G-man"

"Faith, language please.....and, yes, I was most grateful to lose such a charmless monicker", he said with a smile at his daughter. He had missed a great deal of her life but in the last few months she had opened up so much. It had taken a while for Faith to truly settle in as part of the family but now he could barely recall a time when she hadn't been one of the two women at the center of his life. He still smiled tearfully whenever he thought of the first time she had called him 'Dad'.

"Joyce, please. I need to get these seating arrangements done, who are you having accompany you?"

"I...you see...I think maybe...no-one", she said a little sadly as she folded her bolero jacket and placed it on the end of the sofa. She had worn it the last time she had been to LA, the simple and cliched evening of dinner and dancing had meant so much to her. And she relived the night often in her head, but she felt so ashamed at lying... to everyone.

"Oh come on Mom, aren't you gonna tell us who the mystery man is?", butted in Dawn as she finally joined in the conversation after texting her boyfriend all evening, much to her mother's chagrin.

"Mystery man?", asked Willow through a mouthful of pineapple, risking her mild allergy.

"Yeah, she's been getting flowers and things for the last few weeks now. And then there's all the late night phone calls..."

"Dawn, those were...from...potential clients of mine. You know how it is"

"But who is it?", asked Jenny, her fingers gripping the ballpoint pen, aching to fill in the last blank space on the name chart.

"I...", Joyce started but before she could get into her bluff, the doorbell rang, saving her, "Excuse me"

Her mind circled within itself and she even turned back to the crowded room to tell them the truth but upon seeing the happy and carefree gathering, she knew she couldn't tell them now. But one day she would, she just didn't know when. Joyce hated feeling this way, like she was somehow protecting her extended family from the truth, but in her heart she knew it would hurt them all the more when she finally had the guts to tell them.

Joyce opened the door and her mouth fell open, for there before her, clutching a bunch of roses and wearing the widest smile imaginable, was her secret lover. The person she had done nothing but think about and masturbate furiously over since the start of their relationship.

"Babe? Are you okay?"

Joyce stood still and tried to force some words out, any words in fact, but she came up blank. She wasn't ready for everyone to meet like this. Not here, and certainly not now.

"Mom?", said Buffy came up besides her. Joyce flashed a look to her eldest and then back to the person at the door. Her words still elusive.

"Sorry about her, she's just all kindsa weird tonight. Hi, I'm Buffy Summers.....Joyce's daughter"

"Hi, I'm Bette Porter.....Joyce's girlfriend"

(To be continued)

......

(Author's notes - Oh yeah, this is a slight crossover with The L Word. The way I see it, Joyce and Bette are about the same age, both into art, and both total MILF's, so it made sense for them to try to get together. I also think that Giles would be a fan of Dad's Army, don't enough quotes from 70's sitcoms in fics these days.

As for the questions I imagine you have, fear not for all will be explained in good time.)


	2. Chapter 2

Buffy's mouth hung open matching the stunned look of her mother. None of the trio at the door, all cocooned in an uncomfortable silence, knew how to break the tension. It danced upon their sun ravaged skins like a joyous conquistador and revelled in the crippling stance it had bestowed.

"Um...you er.... you better come in", said Buffy, taking the initiative, as she opened the door a little wider to let this striking woman into their house.

"You ok, Joyce", asked Bette a little worried as this was not the reception she had hoped for.

All the way from LA she had pictured in her mind the moment she appeared at Joyce's house. A warm smile and a deep kiss was all she had asked for but no, death stares and nervous body tics had been her only reward. Now she had lost her job at the California Arts Center there was nothing to keep her in LA anymore, sure she would miss her close knit circle of friends but when compared to what she had hoped she could find with Joyce, well the choice was simple.

Everyone in the Summers' living room stared at both Joyce, who was blushing furiously, and Bette, who felt like everyone was eyeing her like a rare sirloin steak at feeding time. They had all heard the little revelation at the front door and so just nudged each other hoping that someone would break the ice.

"So...what's going on?", asked Bette as she stood into the living room wilting under the glares from the gaggle of silenced strangers.

"Er, it's our wedding....Rupert and mine...in three days. I'm surprised Joyce didn't tell you", said Jenny as she started to gather all the papers spread out over the coffee table. Years of school diplomacy had honed her sense of when to make a move, and this most certainly was one of those times.

"Yes Joyce, why didn't you tell me about this? Wait.....do they not know about me? Joyce? What the....?", asked Bette, not wanting to beat around the bush, her voice infusing with both embarassment and anguish as it rose.

"I-I....er...what I mean is....I...", spluttered Joyce as she caught the gaze of her lover. Her eyes were wet and burning.

"This was a bad idea, I should go", said Bette as a tear threatened to spill. She couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice. Joyce had asked to give her some room, to ease her family into it, but it had been two months of secret liaisons and dating in LA only and Bette could only take so much. She wanted so badly to be with Joyce that she had decided to be bold and force her to face up to things.

As Bette stormed out of the door, dropping the bunch of flowers on the 'Welcome' mat, the irony barely registering, and felt her fingers clenching into fists. She wanted to lash out at something though she abhored violence, but since she had met Joyce all her emotions had been a maelstrom of unrecognized feelings. She felt physically sick at being used by her lover in such a cavalier and frivolous manner, though she seldom drunk alone these days she knew that a shot or two would take the edge off the pain that scoured through her. The dark haired woman made a bee line for the nearest bar....wherever that was in a town she had never set foot in before.

"I...I think we should go, thankyou Joyce for a lovely evening, we'll er...we'll see you at the wedding", said Giles floundering badly.

"Yeah, c'mon Willow, we have that _thing_ with the er, _things_", added Xander in his staggeringly unsubtle way as Jenny shepherded everyone out of the door just in time to answer her phone.

"Hello...yes..I...Mom? What....are you here already?..I....no.....I don't.....yes Ma'am, we're on our way", she sighed in defeat and hung up. "Rupert we really do have to go now, thanks again for everything Joyce"

"I...I think we need some alone time....sorry about all of this...I...", said Mrs Summers sheepishly as all the participants in a pleasant eve of merrymaking slipped out the door to start their theories on just what had gone down mere minutes ago.

Xander strolled down the path wearing a dazed look on his features as he pictured his friend's Mom doing the dirty with this unquestioningly attractive woman. He shook his head to clear the sapphic images and hopefully halt the tenting of his pants, turning to Willow he was a little taken back when he noticed she was wearing the same mask of mental fantasies, though hers involved a gallon of ice cream and a Twister mat.

"Will?", he said.

"Mmm?", she said as her enveloping sense of confusion was perforated by her best friend's words.

"You. Me. Words in private", continued Xander as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started to walk her home.

As the procession of embarassed guests filed out into the night Joyce looked at the stunned and angry stares of her daughters.

"Dawn, Buffy. C-can you come into the dining room? I think we need to have a talk".

"I think we do", said Buffy in a flat monotone.

"Ok, I'll...well...later B", said Faith giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek on the way out the door and wincing at the look on her face. The last time Faith had seen that look on anyone's face it was worn by Principal Snyder when he had forced the brunette to enter the school's Talent Night and she performed a thunderous rendition of 'Bondage Up Yours' by X-Ray Spex. Much salivating was to be had by a certain blonde that night seeing her love in a leather catsuit waving a whip around onstage.

As the occupants of the Summers' house left in many different directions, Faith turned to her Dad and Jenny.

"You guys go ahead...I'll catch up", she said as she took off down the street after the fleeting form of Bette who had gathered a quick pace.

"Ok, dont be late", called Giles after her. He was so proud of his daughter and how far she had come of late, he smiled widely thinking of how his life had changed so much since Faith came into his life, as shocking as the circumstances were surrounding her arrival.

"What are you thinking about?", asked Jenny as he opened the car door for her.

"Faith. How much she's changed in the last few months."

"True, remember how it used to be?"

"How could I forget?", he said as he lost himself in his thoughts.

"Reminisce later Rupert, we have an irate woman with an ever ready knitting needle waiting for us"

Bette's kitten heels scuffed at the apshalt as she began to sob, her tears warmer than a lover's embrace. An embrace she was suddenly realising that Joyce was ashamed of. She felt the first tear trickle from the long lashes she had spent an hour on making sure they were perfect so she could suprise her lover and look amazing whilst doing it. Bette had been under the impression that Joyce had wanted the same thing as her, to wake up and kiss each other 'good morning' whilst bathing in the early sun, whispering 'I love you' as they curled into each other's arms for the rest of their days.

"Yo, Betty wait up", Faith yelled as she cursed her smoking once more. Though she had given up the smokes at Buffy's request, it had left her with the lung capacity of a Cubatao orphan.

"It's Bette actually", she snapped back as she adjusted the straps of her purse that were twisting up over her Alexander McQueen suit.

"Sorry.._Bette_. And I'm sorry about all of that, I...we all had no idea...", Faiht wheezed, her chest feeling tighter than Burt Reynolds' face.

Bette turned away once more as she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Faith's words were meant to convey a certain comfort but just helped her realise that she was being used...used by the one woman she felt she could have a real future with.

"Er, I'm Faith...it's my dad getting married"

"That's nice", the older woman replied wearing a sad condescending smile.

"I'm sure Mrs S was going to tell us...y'know how it is with some people. I never had trouble comin' out, but for her? I dunno its just.....shit, I just wanna help y'know", the Bostonian tried to explain but, having no idea what Joyce was thinking, she had little to go on.

"Can you just not....I....I need to go"

"Where's your car?", asked Faith as she regained her composure, her breathing returning to a dignified rate.

"At the garage, I blew out a tire on the way into town. I had to get a cab over here....dammit, is there a bar anywhere in this place?", Bette asked as she looked down every street as they stood at the intersection. She saw nothing but row after immaculate row of comfy suburban homes like it was twin towned with Stepford.

"Now _that_ I can help with", beamed Faith as took Bette's arm and dragged her down Cherrystone Lane.

"Aren't you a little young to drink?"

"Meh, I know Dad will get kinda pissed but this is an emergency. I think you need to know a little more abour Mrs S. C'mon, you're stuck here until your car gets fixed, so whatcha got to lose?", she said with a begging tone.

"Fine", Bette sighed back knowing that any company in her hour of hurt was better than none, "But if I get arrested for buying you drinks...."

"Don't worry, I know a place that don't give a shit. As long as you gots the green, it's cool. Now the thing about Mrs S you gotta understand is...."

As Joyce sat there in silence, she felt each moment drag out longer than the last hour of the last day of the working week. She had felt pain before, after all she had given birth...twice. But this was something new and debilitating. Her deception had wounded her offspring deeply and she was awash in her guilt whose tide also lapped at the hurt she had caused Bette.

"So you're gay too? God, am I the only straight Summers woman? When you were young did you have a thing for Lily Munster or something?", blurted out Dawn.

"Dawn please, this...this isn't easy for me", started Joyce in her chiding tone but right here, right now, she had no authority. She was in the wrong and she knew it.

"Why?", asked Buffy as she sat next to her mother with her arms folded across her chest, refusing to look her in the eye.

"I..I didn't mean to...I never wanted to lie to you, to _any_ of you. I never thought I could go for someone like her but everytime I saw her, everytime I heard her voice, I just fell a little more in love with her, she's just so sweet and beautiful. And that thing she does with her nose when she's trying to figure something out, it's so cute...", Mrs Summers said with a faraway look emblazoned on her face.

"I meant why didn't you tell us?", snarked back the blonde not letting her feelings go unheard.

"It just sounded so..._silly_. Both mother and daughter being gay? This isn't a fairy tale honey, I'm 'Mom', not some piece of skirt chasing all over town with _some hottie_. I should be the one with the quiet life and be responsible, not you. I'm so sorry for lying to you both, I never wanted to...I just couldn't find the right time to tell you"

"Fell for her?"

"What's that Dawnie?", Joyce asked trying hard not to burst into tears.

"You said you fell in love with her. This isn't just a flirty affair is it? Is this like the real deal kind of thing?"

"Yes honey...I..I think it is", she replied with a soft smile.

"Look I know how it's kind of exciting, being with a woman and all that, but your first girlfriend is something that...", Buffy trailed off as her mother once more averted her gaze, "She is your first girlfriend, isn't she?"

Joyce's head hung in the same way that both Buffy and Dawn did when they had been caught at the cookie jar when they were young. For a second she wondered if it was genetic but this wasn't the time for such meanderings.

"Is she?", pressed Buffy not really knowing if she wanted the truth, getting to her feet and leaning on her knuckles that threatened to skid across the well polished table top.

"No.....there was this girl....a long time ago. Her name was Jo, we fell madly in love but things didn't..._couldn't_ work out", Joyce said in a hoarse whisper as her memories scratched away at the backs of her eyes.

"Why not?"

"Your father. I was dating him, and things got well...I don't know how to explain...something...something happened that we hadn't bargained on"

"What? If you loved this girl so much what was the _something_ that made you give up?", Buffy asked getting more irritated.

"You"

"Me?", Buffy said back a little shocked.

"Let's just say that you were a guest at our wedding", said Joyce in her best soothing tone but as she spoke each syllable tore at Buffy's heart.

The blonde girl slumped back down in her chair as she tried to twist her mind back into a working order but it seemed that revelations were the recurring theme this night.

"I was pregnant and I needed to provide you with a good home and a loving family. I'm so sorry Buffy, I didn't want you to find out like this", begged Joyce as she took her daughter's hand into her own.

"B-but if she meant so much to you, after Dad left, why didn't you...", Buffy said as she blinked away a tear. Though she wasn't sure whom she was weeping for. For not being such the picture perfect child borne to a picture perfect family, or that her mother had given up on true love just to give her a stable home.

"I wanted to...I tried but she....had moved on. You remember that tumor I had last year?"

"I'm not likely to forget it", said Buffy in a low and mournful murmur.

"Well, I honestly thought I was going to....you know. So I tracked her down, Jo that is, see what she was up to. But I had waited too long, I got a PI to find out all about her, but she was in a long term relationship....kids and everything. She was happy...and that's all that matters really", Joyce sniffed as her walls were starting to crumble. The tough Mom mask she had worn for so long was beginning to crack and no amount of tender words from her children was going to be able to repair it.

"But what about Bette? How did she come in to it?", asked Dawn still not fully understanding the situation.

"Well......"

(To be continued)

..............................

(Author's notes - I added a certain bits to help tie up a few loose ends from the 'Buffy Shock' chapter from the 'Portal' collaberation. I know the two fics don't really mesh, but I hope it helps.)


	3. Chapter 3

_FLASHBACK_

**2 months earlier **

Joyce stood admiring the subtly textured painting on the wall before her. She hadn't been to the California Arts Center in a long time, though, as a student, she had spent many a happy hour here, stoned off her ass and surrounded by the exquisite and sometimes controversial works that had been an inspiration to her in so many ways.

"Amazing isn't it, the way he expresses form without boundary, truth without piety, and.."

"The colors. The dark tones convey such misery whereas the reds... such vibrancy...such...", Joyce repied to the soft voice from behind her.

"Passion?"

"Yes, pass...", she failed to complete her words as she turned to see the rich dark eyes of a well dressed woman. She was slightly taller than Joyce and held such power and grace in the way with which she carried herself. Her mere presence was intoxicating and Joyce felt a strange tingle down below, something she hadn't felt for the longest of times.

"Hi, I'm Bette. I run this place", she said as she extended her hand.

"J-Joyce", she said back shyly and took the offered hand. It was warm and seemed to fit into her own perfectly but more than that, when they clashed gazes, their eyes became stuck and wallowed in the deep sockets of the other.

"I have my own gallery", Joyce blurted out throughtlessly like an eager-to-impress adolescent. Bette just smiled in return.

"Really? I usually just get idle schoolkids and rich businessmen trying to show off to their friends in here. It takes a truly unique soul to appreciate art like this in it's raw and primal essence"

"Well this certainly is..primal", Joyce said back trying to figure out why she was acting like a ditzy teen instead of her professional self.

"Say, do you want to see something? The new Ecio exhibition opens next week and I'd love to get someone elses perspective on it", Bette said with a pleading tone.

"I, well I am a fan of hers but..".

"Perfect"

Joyce's half hearted protests were cut off as Bette took her arm and lead her to the sealed off section in the east wing of the institutute. They spent the next two hours discussing the baroque work of the west coast's hottest young talent, interspersed with stories of wannabe artists and unpleasant dealers, of family and farmers, Boticelli and Batman, the time withered away as they went to Bette's office where the brunette took Joyce's coat for her. Bette couldn't help but admire the well toned form that was wrapped in the unflattering dress.

"So Miss Summers.."

"It's Mrs actually", Joyce butted in.

"Oh", Bette replied sadly unable to hide her disappointment.

"But I'm divorced, I just keep the name so my daughters can have a proper sense of family and..you know, belonging I guess."

Bette's face brightened at the news.

"What about you?"

"No, I'm not married. I was in a long term relationship up until last year though. Tina and I just realised we weren't meant to be, but we're still good friends", Bette said back reviving the comfortable rhythm of their conversation.

Their talk continued and just as they were finishing their third cappuccinos the dark haired woman plucked up the courage to ask the question she had been burning to for the last hour.

"W-would you come to a party tonight? It's at my neighbors house, it's not very often I get the chance to talk to someone on my own wavelength and I really like talking to you. I thought we could talk some more. Say yes, Joyce...please?", Bette said in her usually direct way but felt slightly lazy using the word 'talk,' or derivatives of it, three times in the same sentence.

"I-I can't. I have to get back home early tomorrow", Joyce said back as she placed her coffee cup back on the table.

"It's important to be professional Joyce, but you got to have a life"

This rang in Joyce's mind like it was the mantra she had been waiting a lifetime to hear. For what was her life? An endless cycle of bills, ironing, cooking, cleaning, more bills, making sure Buffy and Dawn get to school on time and get their hefty allowances, more bills, as well as putting up with all the pretentious bullshit that comes with the territory of the art world. It was enough to make anyone use a twelve bore to paint the bathroom walls a new shade of shredded cerebellum.

"Ok"

"Huh?", Bette replied not expecting her new friend to be so open to suggestion.

"Ok, I'll come to the party"

Bette smiled widely and that's when Joyce noticed she was feeling something for her. More than professional courtesy, something even more than friendship, but what, she couldn't say for sure. But she was willing to find out what.

Joyce stepped out of the cab and checked the address once more though it was a little tricky as the sweat of her palm had smudged the words on the carefully folded Post-It note. She wiped her hands on the legs of her smart dress pants and took a minute to compose herself before ringing the doorbell. She really couldn't believe that she was doing this, a woman whose normal friday nights involved watching re-runs of The Golden Girls, re-organizing her kitchen cupboards (which is not a euphemism for something else) and, on occassion, picking up Buffy after Faith had dragged her to a frat party and gotten her girlfriend a little drunk.

She took one last deep breath and switched her phone off, wanting this to be a night of no interruptions, and put it in her purse. Her finger, shaking slightly, pressed the bell and waited nervously until the door swung open and she was greeted by the sight of a young lady in her twenties. Joyce looked her up and down - jeans by Levi, shirt by Sears, hair by Flymo.

"Hi, I er...I'm Joyce...I'm er, a_ friend_ of Bette..she invited me...um, she said it would be...I got this", she said a little flustered as she thrust out a bottle of wine to her hosts.

"Er, ok. Thanks... Joyce is it? Come on in. I'm Shane, and this is my girlfriend Carmen."

"Nice to meet you", she said back still somewhat fazed by the situation she found herself in.

"Joyce!", came the voice of Bette, unable to mask her excitement, "I'm so glad you made it, you look great"

"Thanks, so do you", she replied as she watched the soft silk of Bette's dress cling to her like a whisper in the mist. Whatever that means.

Bette leaned in and kissed Joyce softly on the cheek. Usually the Summers house matriarch would be thrown by such a gesture but coming from Bette, it felt almost _right_, and instantly eased her worries despite now being surrounded by a group of ladies of varying states of attraction.

"Oh, so _you're_ Joyce", started Dana, "Bette's been going on about you all evening. Tell you what, you're even better than she said"

"Dana!", Bette snapped as she blushed in perfect synchronisity with Joyce, "I'm sorry about her"

"It's ok, it's actually nice to able to talk amongst real adults. Usually I just talk to clients or to the PTA"

"You got kids then, Joyce?", asked Carmen as she relaxed back into Shane's warm and possessive arms.

"Yes, two actually. Dawn is fourteen and Buffy is nearly seventeen. The post partum was worth it in the end", she shrugged by way of self deprecation which made the cadre of intrigued woman warm to her immediately.

As Joyce and Bette stood next to each other, they felt strange. Like a paralyzing toxin was seeping through their bodies rendering their oft used powers of speech obsolete. But they were both fluent in body language, and the language was rated R.

"Erm, let me take that", offered Bette as she snapped out of her trance helping Joyce slip out of her, well actually it was Cordelia's, suede jacket showing her slightly too tight lilac blouse making Bette's eyes fixate a little harder.

As Bette hung up the coat, a blonde with slurred legs came over to her. She stumbled a little and wine splashed onto her hand leaving her fingers stickier than Winona Ryder's.

"Nice catch, Bette", said Alice, but due to her consumption of the fermented grape, it came out alot louder than she had intended.

"Shut up"

"I'm just saying, it's been what...eight months since Tina, about time you got back on that horse"

"Alice, shut up!", snipped Bette as she glanced over to Joyce, her skin flushing once more.

"Are you blushing? You never blush, woah, you _really_ like her don't you?"

"Yeah...I do", the brunette said back gently.

"Then go for it, honey", encouraged Alice with a pat on the back.

"Joyce, can I get you a drink?", asked Carmen playing the hostess role to a tee.

"Sure"

Joyce followed Carmen, flanked by Bette, into the kitchen. She felt weird that she couldn't take her arms off the slightly mocha arms of Bette that flowed with ease from the short sleeves of her stunning green number.

"Thankyou, you really have a lovely home here", Joyce said as she took the long stemmed glass.

"Thanks, it's only rented but once Shane and I tie the knot we're going to get a place of our own, right babe?"

"Er yeah sure", answered Shane nonchalantly though inside, as the big day crept nearer, she got more and more scared.

"So Bette tells me you have a gallery?", asked Dana as she searched for some more salsa dip.

"Yes, it's doing pretty well for a small town, we just have a new shipment of Malayan fertility statues"

"Ah", nodded the tennis star as she really didn't want to be dragged into a conversation about art, she was just being polite.

Shane nudged Bette as they opened the patio doors. The doors always got a little stuck so they had to administer a dual shove to get them open.

"You're right, she is a hottie. Now don't fuck this up", she whispered to her friend, wanting only the best for her. After Tina, the bar had been raised high but she had a feeling that this new woman in Bette's life could easily surpass her expectations.

"Don't worry Shane, this is one flower I don't want to crush"

"Dork", chuckled Shane at Bette's shamelessly poetic nature.

"Joyce, do you want to see the outside. Carmen's got it looking really nice, you want to show us Car?", asked Bette as she beckoned the blonde woman over to the door

"No, you go ahead, we'll be out in a minute"

Bette took Joyce's hand and, to the surprise of them both, she didn't whip it away as they stepped out into the cooling evening air.

Their easy conversation took off like it had never been interrupted by several hours of touching up their make up and changing clothes, such was their intent to impress.

"What are they talking about?", asked Alice as she looked out at the pair who sipped wine and laughed like they had known each other forever.

"Does it matter, it's great to see Bette have that sparkle in her eye again. Shame it's with a straight chick", shrugged Shane as Carmen pulled the cigarette from her fiances lips and threw it in the sink.

"Hey, that was my last one"

"That's right, your last one...ever"

"B-but...fuck...I am so whipped", she said with a sigh.

"Maybe later", purred the latina woman as she ran her tongue along Shane's ear.

"You sure she's straight? If I didn't know better...", asked Alice as she emptied the last of the bottle into her glass.

"Does it really matter, love is love", said Carmen, spouting her simple life philosophy between her nibbles on Shane's unpierced lobe.

Back outside, both Joyce and Bette hadn't noticed that no-one had come out to join them. They preferred it really, allowing themselves to revel in the growing intimacy between the two aided by the buzz of the alcohol that they drunk before the party started. Courage was in liquid form this night.

"I wanted to check out the Righettie exhibition", said Joyce as she felt her heartrate on the rise and, for a woman her age, it couldn't be good.

"You have to, it's amazing. Do you think you might want to see it tomorrow? I have the day off and I'd love to have the chance to see it with someone who can truly appreciate it", replied Bette as she felt herself being more and more drawn to the blonde woman.

"I don't know"

"It's just a show"

"Ok then, I'd love to"

"Maybe dinner afterwards", pressed Bette hopefully."I like you Joyce and I'd love to have the chance to get to know you better. It's only dinner, no strings...what do you say? There's no harm in it and I'm sure your daughters would love an extra night of freedom, they deserve it like you do. Go on, it'll show your trust in them"

"Dinner? Do you mean like...a date?"

"You can make it mean anything you like, Joyce", Bette said in a frothy pitch.

Joyce felt herself melting in the deep rich eyes of this beauty. With each smooth action and thoughtful word she was falling under her spell even more but, to her surprise, she found herself not wanting to break the enchantment that Bette was subtly ensnaring her with.

"I love this song", Joyce said as 'California Dreaming' sneaked out of the stereo and floated out the window until it had found the ears of them both. Bette took their drinks and put them on the wooden garden table and stepped in closer towards Joyce.

As Bette took Joyce's hand and slid the other round her waist, the blonde lady couldn't help but flinch. It had been a long time since someone had held her with such tenderness that bordered on reverence. Joyce slipped into the embrace with ease and felt her heartbeat gaining pace as they swayed to the soft sounds.

Not wanting to press matters too far, Bette simply moved into Joyce's body gently, letting the visitor take control of how far she wanted this to go.

"You know, everyone else is inside. Maybe we should go in...get some more wine?", asked Bette.

"It's kind of loud in there and I was really enjoying our...er, conversation", Joyce said with a blush as with every simple gesture that the dark haired woman made she felt herself letting go of her restraints.

"Well I live just next door, we can carry on our talk. I was really enjoying it too, it's not often I get to meet a woman with such a perfect combination of appreciation for the arts as well being so... beautiful", she said and pushed a stray strand of hair back behind Joyce's hair.

Joyce stopped in her dancing and just stared at the woman who held her in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Joyce", Bette started, hoping that she hadn't ruined everything already, "But..well, I like to get straight to the point, and well...I like you, as in _like_ like"

She bit her lip and waited for the blonde woman to respond. She imagined that she had pushed too far too soon and the last image she would have of Joyce would be of her storming throught the party after giving a fierce slap to Bette's caramel cheek.

"At your house...do you have wine?", Joyce asked and they both released a deep breath.

Their fingers stayed locked together as they made their way into Bette's house and opened a bottle. As the brunette flicked through her collection of classic vinyls she found her favorite David Bowie record and put it on.

The turntable spun into life and the soft crackles that only came with twelve inch records spilled from the speakers, Joyce smiled at the tunes echoing throughout the artful house as she stared intently at an original Bieske.

Bette, feeling the effects of the wine, decided to make a bold manouevre. She came up behind Joyce and slipped her arms round her waist and just gently swayed to the music. After the initial shock Joyce melted back into the embrace and mirrored her new friend's moves.

Joyce turned in Bette's arms and stared deeply into her eyes. There was a hunger there that she had not seen for a while, but it was tempered with a respectful understanding of the boundaries that Joyce no doubt had set firmly in place a long time ago to save herself from any potential heartbreak.

Ignoring the wine she had opened, Bette pulled the blonde woman in closer and smiled as she took in every minute detail of Joyce's well aging face. How one eye was slightly higher than the other, how her smile drew flawlessly every time like she had spent much of her youth being forced into entering mother-daughter beauty pageants, how, despite the odour of wine masking their senses, she still smelt like rosehips.

At this point Bette needed to badly to kiss her. As she gave her courage once last tweak she was taken back when Joyce pressed her lips into her own, gently at first but as they sunk further into each other it grew in passion and had them fighting for both breath and dominance.

They were instantly lost in each others senses, the lust that scoured their veins was not simply due to the fermented grape in their systems, but the need to feel more. To feel each others souls in their entireity and swim within the heady feelings that they had brought out in the other.

They pushed back against each other as their lips crashed over and over in a deep down release that both parties had been hungering for.

Bette slipped her arms down and pulled Joyce's blouse from the waist of her pants and flicked each button off without dramatic necessity, just an desperate urge to be with this stunning woman. Joyce surrendered to each touch and nip of her flesh as she reached round and fumbled with the zip at the back of Bette's dress.

Her velvet skin rode under the gliding fingers of Bette as her blouse slipped off her body, the brunette laying teasing kisses over the small secret tattoo of a white flower on the back of Joyce's shoulder.

The heat radiated from their bodies as they lunged at each other, feeling no shame or restraint as they stumbled into the bedroom. As they...

_END FLASHBACK_

"Woah, Mom! Please! I _sooo_ did not need to hear that", rushed out Buffy as she slammed her hand on the table, mildly freaked at her mother's open admittance of casual carnal pleasures.

"So you had sex with her the first time you met?"

"No, we didn't. We made love", said Joyce as she blushed at being so open with her children about her most sating of moments, but Bette brought out such desires and ease within her it was hard not to surrender to the truth.

"That's...well, still ewwww", added Dawn

"Sorry, anyway the next morning I freaked. I said I had to go and I ran before Bette could untangle herself from the sheets. I drove back here as fast as I could... I couldn't believe I had just done that. Nobody apart from my OB-GYN had been that intimate with me..."

"For god's sake Mom, I don't want to know about that"

"Sorry...anyway, I still had Bette's business card. I wanted to call her, to tell it was all a mistake but I hadn't felt that..._loved_ in so long. I dialled and hung up so many times it wasn't even funny, but I couldn't forget her, the slight tilt of her nose, the feel of her cheek on mine, the way her breasts did that little..."

"MOM!", exclaimed the twin voices of grossed out terror that inhabited the mouths of both Summers daughters.

"Sorry, I'll just stick to the facts. I called her, I apologised, we talked almost every night and I went back to LA the following weekend. After that...well, I think you can guess why I had so many 'business' trips to LA in the last few weeks. I think...I think I love her. _Really_ love her"

Silence once more descended upon the trio of Summers women and they just stared at each other. Guilt, apprehension, confusion, all were now moulded into one encompassing emotive brew that they were all to sup from.

"Mom..", started Buffy as she cleared her throat, "Mom, I'm hurt you didn't tell me, but why be ashamed of this? I'm gay, hell you even helped me with coming out the closet so I could be with Faith. So why couldn't you do the same?"

"I-I'm so s-sorry", Joyce sobbed out. Buffy, not wanting to punish her mother any further, snaked her thin arms around her and hugged her tightly. Her heart went out to her mom who she could tell was having her heart torn from her chest and stomped over.

"I-I've ruined e-everything", she wailed as she sunk her face into her daughters shoulders, letting out all her fear, frustration and regret.

"I-I fucked up...really badly...now I've hurt you...and her. I'm so sorry"

"Shh, Mom it's gonna be ok", soothed Dawn as she too joined in the tearful familial hug slightly worried that her Mom had used the F-word.

"It's not...I've really screwed things up...I just want to tell her I'm sorry...to let me make it up to her...now she's gone...and I don't know where she is", sniffed Joyce as she found a dry piece of the tissue she had been picking at.

"She's over at the Hamilton Hotel", came the voice from behind them.

"Faith?"

The brunette wandered in slipping the spare key that Mrs Summers had given her back into her pocket.

"Look, I know it's none of my business but after all you done for me and B, I thought you should...well y'know...", said the brunette with a blush as Joyce leapt from the chair, sending it toppling to the floor, and crushed Faith in a loving and grateful embrace.

"Thankyou honey...thankyou so much", she gushed as she planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"No biggie Mrs S, now you better get going as I don't know how long she's gonna be there...room 212"

As Joyce grabbed her keys she ran to the door but, once she took the brass handle in her now sweaty palm, she had a moment of hesitation. Looking back to the three young women who were acting so much more mature than she, Joyce's face was a tangled mass of self doubt and confusion.

"Mom...go", Buffy insisted with a warm smile as she nuzzled into Faith's arms.

Seeing the love that wove between the two girls Joyce knew what she wanted, she wanted the same but for her and Bette. Blowing them a farewell kiss she ran out the door and leapt in her car wheelspinning on the way out on to Revello Drive, hoping that luck would be on her side for once.

As Dawn picked up her phone to text the evening's events to her boyfriend, Buffy and Faith just held each other. The love and trust that bonded them had just become a shade more unbreakable with the brunette's efforts at ensuring Joyce had a happy ending too, like she deserved.

"Faith?"

"Mmmm", she groaned back as her hands rode up high on Buffy's body.

"Are you drunk?"

"Huh, no..I haven't...well I have...but I ain't drunk. I had a couple of beers with Bette, y'know she's one pretty cool lady - like ya Mom. I had to get her to stop and think about what she was givin' up if she left.", Faith rushed out with her hops tinged breath tickling Buffy's ear.

"You know you try and be Miss Bad-ass, but really you're just a romantic sappy girlie-girl", she giggled as she turned to face her girlfriend..

"Me? I'm no such fucking thing, I just think...well...", she protested but seeing the sparkle in her girlfriend's eyes she knew she was beaten, "You won't tell anyone will ya, B?"

"Your secret's safe with me, sweetie", the blonde said back with a soft and passionate kiss.

"So what d'ya think?", asked Faith as she hugged her girlfriend to her and inhaled her sweet scent.

"I ...I don't know"

"From what Bette was tellin' me, I think she really wants this to work out with ya mom. It's just hard for ya mom to admit to this shit"

"I guess. But good things come to those who deserve it, right baby?"

"Absolutely"

Cue flashback montage. Eighties style!

(To be continued)

...

(Author's notes - Before you say anything, yes I changed the storylines in The L Word. Tina and Bette are still friends and Angelica never existed. I added a few more nods to 'Buffy Shock', and yes, I am a hopeless romantic)


	4. Chapter 4

(Rather than spend ages explaining everything, I thought flashback-a-go-go was an easier route, the following is spread out over the previous few months. It doesn't explain everything as there is plenty of time for that later. Sorry hotcutii3 - no L-Word in this chapter but it will be back later, and I hope Kris' screen recovers. But a huge thankyou for everyone who's dropped by and reviewed, especially Mika and Hillary, you've made my Xmas card list)

_FLASHBACK_

"Hey guys, what's up?", asked Buffy in her usual cheery tone as she wandered into the school library and bounced up on to the edge of the table. She swung her legs back and forth idly as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her new blue shirt that, as yet, no-one had noticed.

"Algebra. And if I keep on getting these interruptions Xander is never going to pass", huffed Willow as she greeted her best friend.

"Sorry Wills, not going so good then?"

"If she ever offers to help tutor you...don't", said Xander but his joke was cowered into submission by the redhead's glare.

"Listen, if you don't want..."

"Ah Buffy, is that a new top? What brings you here", interrupted Giles as she sauntered in from his office carrying a mug of chamomile.

"Oh you know, that ever burning desire for knowledge and stuff", she said with a shrug while she was thrilled that someone actually paid attention to her clothing. She was little creeped out that it was the school librarian, but beggers can't be choosers.

"So, not hiding from Principal Snyder trying to press gang you into volunteering for parent-teacher night then?", he smirked as he blew the steam from his drink.

"Me? Oh god no, you know me, all peppy with the school spirit and all that, oh Wills did you get that French homework done?", she said deftly changing subject.

"Why, do you need help with it?"

"No, I was hoping I could just copy it"

"Ah, a woman after my own heart", grinned Xander as he leaned back in the chair.

"Oh thank god, excuse me", Giles said as he heard the phone ringing, to be honest he was glad of the excuse to wrest himself from the inanity that was teenage banter.

"What's up with him?", Willow asked as her pseudo mentor wandered off.

"You know Giles, everything he does is so calculated and thought out, even the slightest thing can offset his Britishiness, hence his whole wigging at our cheating plans", smirked Buffy as she took Willow's French book from her.

"WHAT?"

All three turned to hear the exclamation from the office before, seeing through the window, Giles drop the phone, take a step back and then faint.

"Miss Calendar, what are you doing here?", asked Buffy as she answered the door. She didn't like her home to be invaded by teachers, even ones that she liked. It was an 'Us vs Them' mentality and one she adhered to.

"Hello Buffy, is your mother here? I...I need to talk to her", she asked her nerves obviously frazzling.

"Sure come in...Mom!"

"Buffy, there's no need to shout I'm only in the kitchen", said Joyce as she walked in to the hallway wiping her hands on a cloth, "Oh hello Jenny, what can I do for you?"

"It's this whole thing...with Rupert, it's got my head in a spin and I really don't know what to do", she confessed as Joyce escorted her into the living room currently a hive of activity of Buffy and her friends.

"Well Buffy was a little scarce with the details. She said something about a doctor stealing Rupert's blood and cloning him", said Joyce with a confused scowl.

"What? No, that's not it at all, but I think Rupert should be the one to tell you all about it"

"Isn't he back yet? Xander, would you mind?", said Joyce as she raised a patient eyebrow.

"Huh, oh yeah, sure", he said as he shuffled along the sofa allowing Jenny to sit. He tactfully placed a cushion over his lap as who knows what would _arise_.

"Thankyou Xander", Jenny said politely as she sat next to him, her sweet scent tickling his recently groomed nostrils.

"Well we'll leave you to it, guys let's go to my room", said Buffy as she didn't like parental figures honing in on her friend time.

"No, don't go, I...I need your help"

"Wait, a teacher needs _my_ help? Well, the circle is now complete", Xander said to an almost audible mass rolling of the eyes.

"It's just...with Rupert now being a father..that makes...or it _will_ make me a...stepmother! I have no idea what to do"

"Didn't you want to have children with Rupert?"

"Yes, eventually,"

"Please, I _soooo_ do not need that visual", scoffed Buffy.

"Me neither", quipped Willow as she took the last of her hay fever medicine.

"But now he's bringing a teenager into our house, a girl I haven't even met yet, and it's the whole in-at-the-deep-end thing, I need your help...please"

"Oh come on, any child of Giles is gonna be a tea drinking, tweed wearing, uber polite girl with no sense of fun. Don't worry, we'll help. We'll give her a makeover and show her how to have fun, right guys", gushed Buffy at the thought of having a real life doll to play with.

"Right, and maybe I could finally have a study buddy who's on my level...not to say that you guys aren't on my level of intellect but you know, sometimes I have this kind of...I'll stop now"

"Thankyou Willow, I appreciate any help I can get"

"And I offer my services as a virile studly male to help her get acquainted with our American notions of dating"

"Xander, she is American, Boston _is_ in America you know"

"I knew that", he bluffed.

"So what do you think?", asked Willow excitedly, the prospect of a female version of Giles had her in a tizz.

"I'm imagining an A-line tweed skirt and penny loafers", said Cordelia as she adjusted her new Chanel purse that hung from her shoulder.

"Oh, and glasses like Giles, I bet she'll clean them every five seconds and make that coughing sound when she gets embarassed", added Buffy.

"Don't be so mean, if she is all embarass-y I think we should go out of our way to make her feel welcome. We can help her adjust to being cool"

"Yeah, get the Jewish nerd to teach her about being cool. Great idea.", scoffed Cordelia.

"Now play nice Cordy, don't worry Will, we'll all be there for the mini femme Giles", added Xander as he slid his arm around his girlfriend's waist.

They opened the door of the library to see Jenny and Giles sitting by the long table.

"Ah you're here...at last", started Jenny. The punctuality of her favorite students was a constant annoyance to her.

"Sorry, so Giles you gonna tell us what's the what?", asked Buffy as she rooted around in her bag and popped a cherry in her mouth. No pun intended.

"Yes of course. Erm, long story short, as I imagine your attention spans have been warped by years of television and e-numbers"

"Hey", snipped Xander.

"What? It's true", placated Buffy.

"I know, I was just trying to...so Giles, go on", he said veering to conversation back to the Englishman as Xander really had no idea where he was going with his statement.

"Quite, well that phone call last week, the one when I..well..", Giles started as he rose to his feet nervously awaiting their opinion.

"Passed out like a freshman?"

"Well, yes to be honest. The call was from an old friend of mine. He's a doctor out in Boston. When we roomed together at University he was studying medicine so he took some of my blood once to study and noticed a peculiarity in my DNA, it's not indicative of anything wrong, just a quirk of my genes. Anyway, he was testing some blood that had been sent to him and noticed the same quirk. It seems that many years ago, when I was working on my fellowship at Harvard, I went out on a stag night, I got very, _very_ drunk and slept with a lady. Ergo, I have a child. But I had no idea she even existed, so now I have an awful lot to make up for, and well I..I need your help"

"Wow, that's becoming like a catchphrase for you guys", chuckled Xander.

"So where is she?", asked Buffy looking around.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my daughter...Faith"

Stepping out from the office came a dark haired girl who curled her full and succulent lips into an amused smile. There before them stood a figure of defiance and passion moulded into one unique shape. Her t-shirt, bearing the Bad Religion logo, was taut over her more than ample bust that made both Willow and Buffy look down at their own and shrink back into themselves a little in embarassment.

She strode over, creaking in her worn leather pants, her chunky boots slapping against the linoleum with an aggressive thud.

"S'up guys", she said with an unnerring confidence.

"Faith, I'd like you to meet Buffy, Willow, Xander and Cordelia", said Giles as he went to clean his glasses but his hand was swatted away by Jenny.

They all stood there, mouths agape for many different reasons.

"H-hi", started Buffy as she stared into those deep brown eyes feeling herself melt a touch.

"So how did this doctor friend of yours find out about the blood thing?", asked Cordelia as she mentally started to prepare a shopping list for Faith for a mall trip she decided this new girl desperately needed.

"Well, he was testing a batch of blood samples for the criminal records database. It seems that Faith here got in a little trouble and was being detained, being only sixteen she was going to be sent off to a foster home again...but, when my friend noticed the peculiarities in her DNA he remembered how mine possessed the same quirks, so..."

"Criminal records?", gushed Willow as all hopes for a study buddy crashed into the reefs of disappointment.

"No biggie, some guy tried to burn a friend of mine so I cracked him in the head with a skateboard", Faith shrugged.

"Oh", said Buffy suddenly feeling intimidated by the leather clad hottie.

"There goes the bell, Faith you have to get to class. Don't want you late on your first day do we?", said Jenny in a light tone.

"Yeah, wouldn't that be a shitter", she scoffed back as she shoved the swing doors of the library open and stepped out into the hallway.

"Buffy, all of you in fact, please be gentle with her. Though she may act tough she's been through a lot so any help would be appreciated", asked Giles

"Er, sure, whatever you say...Faith, wait up!", Xander shouted as he lead the procession of friends after the new girl.

Giles rubbed the shoulders of Jenny whose muscles were knotted tightly. The last few days hadn't been easy for any of them.

"Don't worry my dear, I'm sure she'll come around eventually", he said hopefully.

Jenny and Giles stood outside the door of their house. Both hesitant to return to the scene of the epic three way argument that had raged mere hours ago and could hear the loud music from a mile away, but as Giles opened the door he was surprised to be greeted by the sight of Faith hard at work in the kitchen.

"Faith! Can you turn the music down a bit!", yelled Jenny over the raucous tunes echoing throughout their home.

"Oh sorry", Faith replied as she adjusted the volume.

"Is that..?", Giles started as he recognized the song.

"X-Ray Spex? Yep, found it in your vinyl collection with the Pistols and Anti Nowhere League. Get down with your bad self G man, since when were you into decent music?"

"Back in my youth I was very much into the scene as it were, I even knew Poly Styrene pretty well", he said as he flicked over the record cover of Germfree Adolescents and his eyes twinkled with happy memories of his riotous teen years which were a far cry from the life he lived now.

"Really? How well?", continued Faith as she stirred the soup on the oven, adding a touch of basil to bring out the flavor.

"You could say I...nevermind...Faith, what is that heavenly aroma?", he tactfullly swerved as he felt the jealous stare of Jenny boring into his skin.

"Why? Don't you like it?"

"No, it smells delicious...but... did you cook for us? Why?"

"I like to cook. Besides if I'm gonna be living here I might as well make myself useful and also...I wanted to say..._sorry_...for this morning y'know", she said with a touch of shame that her temper had once more yielded an unpleasant start to the day.

"That's ok Faith. I know it's hard for you to make such a huge transition in your life, I think we were in the wrong too...a little. We just need to try a bit harder, and not force you into doing things"

"Too fuckin' right, I mean cheerleader tryouts? Who's crackpipe were you toking to come up with that one?"

"Faith, language!", said both Giles and Jenny in unison.

"Fine", she sighed, "Anway sit down, grub's a coming"

Jenny and her fiance, still in a state of shock, put their bags down and took their places at the table covered with a neat linen table cloth and decorated with the fine cutlery and china that they only ever used at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their glasses filled with a fine looking wine.

"Er, Faith. What have I told you about drinking alcohol?", asked Giles as he motioned to the filled glasses.

"Don't worry, it's only sparkling grape juice", she said back a little hurt. Despite all her efforts she still felt he doubted her intentions.

Seeing the hurt register on his daughter's face the Englishman knew he had once again made an error.

"I'm sorry Faith, I really am. Mmm, it's really nice", he said as he sipped his drink, "Thankyou, I..that is _we_ really appreciate what you've done. It's really thoughtful, isn't it Jenny?"

"Mmmh?", she grunted as she was still mesmerised by the napkins that Faith had folded to resemble swans, something that she had always wanted to know how to do.

"Faith, seeing the effort she's made tonight, it's really nice of her isn't it?"

"Yes, absolutely..sorry, it's just such a surprise"

"Well, I just thought...with you takin' me in an' all, I..I had a talk with Red and she like...well said some shit that really hit home y'know. She's a smart cookie that girl, so I figured that it weren't fair for you to make all the effort. I'm just trying to say sorry for all the shit of the last few weeks, I was kinda hoping we could start over. Clean slate and all that?"

"I think we've all made mistakes of late, so yes, a clean slate as you say, would be a fine idea." said Giles.

"I agree", added Jenny as Faith placed the three plates of food on the table and sat down with them.

"Wow, this is really good. I mean _really_ good", gushed Jenny as she tucked into the lemon and herb roast chicken.

"You were expecting what exactly? Sloppy joe's garnished with cigarette butts?"

"No, but I agree with Jenny on this one Faith, you really have a talent. This gravy is divine"

"Thanks, it's made with reduced stock, red wine, a splash of port and a touch of mustard powder to give it that extra bite...what?", she said back with mock shock, but inside she was dancing with joy at being praised for something she loved to do.

"Well, I'm very impressed. Have you ever thought about it as a career?", asked her father as he ravenously ate.

"Yeah right, it's costs a shitload of cash and I'm pretty sure they don't accept foodstamps"

"Now Faith, don't think like that, there are scholarships available and as your father I would be honored to help you in anyway I can"

"Right", she retorted not really wanting to get into it now. Faith just wanted to enjoy a good meal with her new family without it descending into a conversation about her and what the future might hold. She still felt strange at having a man in her life who wasn't a pot dealer or a parole officer.

"Do you think...maybe you want to do this again? Like a regular thing?", asked Jenny, "How about once a week, we sit down for dinner like this, maybe all dressed up like it's a special occassion?"

"Woah, I like the cooking but dressing up? No way you're gonna get me into some flowery dress and look like a dickwad just so we can play at happy families", she snipped back.

"That's not what I meant, I meant just wear something nice...not a dress if you don't want to. It's just..something like this...it should be special for all of us, right Rupert?"

"Of course. Faith, I would love it if we could do that. What do you say?" 

"Sure, ok...but no dress. Every wednesday maybe, I got the last period off so I can get to the grocery store so I can shit started early", she said with a nonchalant tone but her underlying excitement at being able to show her true talents. Though she fought it, Faith couldn't stop the wide smile from bursting out on her face, complete with full dimple display.

"Maybe we can invite Buffy over sometime?", Jenny mentioned casually though she knew how Faith really felt about the blonde.

"What?", the Beantown girl said as she choked on the mange tout that was cooked to crunchy perfection."W-why?"

"I think it'd be nice for her to see this side of you, you keep all this hidden from her, from everyone actually. If they could see what kind of girl you really were then I think you might improve your chances with her"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Faith, I may be a teacher and _like totally uncool_, but I'm not blind. I can see you like her, right?"

The brunette just dropped her head and pushed the vegetables around on her plate not wanting to admit to being so transparent. But if this is what could win Buffy's heart she was willing to take the chance. She gave the slightest of nods. Jenny slid her hand over and tapped lightly on Faith's forearm, she looked up to the warm smile of the woman who could possibly be not _that_ bad of a mother figure. The Bostonian smiled back and let her shoulders visibly relax, it was a turning point in their relationship and Faith was feeling surprised at how good it felt to let someone in, even just a tad.

"Don't worry sweetie, once she sees the kind and thoughtful girl you really are, you'll win her over in no time", cooed Jenny.

"I'll get dessert", Faith said as she jumped from her chair and headed into the kitchen. She wasn't ready to serve the cheesecake topped with rapsberries and mango just yet, she just didn't want anyone to see the tear that was brimming in her eye.

"I know I'm about two bong hits away from total retardation", Faith started a little sheepishly as she stood in front of the High School, her friends sitting on the steps before her all wearing expressions of annoyance.

"Oh, I have no doubt of that", Buffy said flatly.

The previous night Faith had managed to get them all in a bit of trouble with the long arm of the law. After getting them all thrown of the Bronze for getting in a scuffle with Riley she had thrown a brick through his windshield in revenge just as a police car passed. Due to the influence of Cordelia's father, some rushed apologies and an offer to pay for the damage they had gotten off from any charges. The constant weeping of Xander probably helped.

"Look, I-I'm sorry about last night. Riley was acting like a complete twat and I just sorta lost it. I didn't mean to drag you into any shit y'know."

"I know you don't like him but we really could've gotten into some deep trouble last night...though it was kind of fun seeing the look on his face when he saw his car", said Buffy with a wry grin.

"Guys, I...er, I'm not good at the apology thing...but...I wanna make it up to ya, so I-I made some muffins...I got blueberry and double chocolate chip", Faith said letting her hair flop forward slightly to try and cover her rosy blush as she flipped open a box full of sweetened delights.

"You? You made these, since when do you cook?", asked Willow as she drooled a little at the forthcoming sugar rush that would no doubt power her throughout the approaching geometry quiz.

"Me Faith, Faith like food, so Faith make good food", she said back in her Tarzan-esque staccato which eased the tension between the quintet.

"But when did you...mmmm, damn these are really good, guys you gotta try one!", said Xander as he waffled the muffin down.

"This one's for you Red", Faith said with a smile as she held up a pretzel she had made in the shape of the star of David.

"Aww, thankyou Faith", the redhead said back with a smile as the prospect of baked goodies was all it took for the redhead to forgive any transgression. Especially one that celebrated her faith.

"Not that one, that's for Buffy", Faith said as she slapped Xander's hand away as he reached for another, and held the container in front of the blonde girl who was still a little irked at Faith.

"Me?", said Buffy as she looked into the dozen or so muffins to see one oozing with choccy goodness with each chip delicately placed to spell out the letter B. She smiled so wide that her cheeks threatened to be forced into her ears.

"Cordy, you gotta try one", enthused Xander.

"No, it's alright", the well dressed young lady said back.

"C'mon C, I made you a pretzel. Don't worry, I know all about your lactose intolerance so I made it with soya milk", said Faith as she held out the pastry.

"You're lactose intolerant? I didn't know that", said Xander as everyone stared at Cordelia feeling a little ashamed at knowing this girl for so long and not knowing the simplest thing about her.

"Shit man, what kinda boyfriend are you?", snorted Faith.

"Hey, this is really good...doesn't mean I like you or anything", said Cordelia with a slight huffiness but was secretly touched at such a thoughtful gesture.

"Wouldn't have it any other way C", grinned back Faith knowing that she had made serious headway with the Queen of Sunnydale High.

"So how come you're all into the cooking thing all of a sudden?", asked Willow as she inhaled the scent of the still warm buns. There's a joke in there somewhere.

"It's ain't a sudden thing. When I was living with Diana she encouraged me so I just got really into it", Faith shrugged.

"Who'th Diana?", Buffy forced out round a mouthful of muffin that inginited her tastebuds.

"My old foster mom...she...died", replied the brunette sadly as she felt the serrrated memories flood within her. She could recall with perfect vividity the night the police came round to inform a scared fourteen year old girl that the only person in this world who ever truly gave a damn about her had been killed in a hit and run.

"I'm thorry", the blonde said softly as the sticky chocolate formed a sovereign state, complete with national anthem, within her mouth.

"It's cool, it was a while ago now, but she always said that I should join the CIA"

"You mean like Mulder and Scully?", asked Buffy as she finally swallowed.

"That's the FBI"

"Oh, wait, do you mean like Grissom and that?"

"B, that's CSI. I mean the CIA - the Culinary Institute Of America", Faith said with a chuckle as Buffy blushed heavily.

"Oh..er, well we got classes to get to. Faith we got History right now, don't want to keep Ms Bird waiting do we?"

"Shit", sighed Faith as she threw the empty box in the trash and held out a hand to help Buffy to her feet. The blonde gratefully accepted the gesture and, once on her feet, she didn't let go of the brunette's strong fingers. All the previous irritation she had felt towards Faith had been melted with each bite of muffin and the fact that Faith had openly admitted to a very painful memory. Buffy's respect and empathy shot up for her as they walked to class still holding hands.

As Cordelia, Willow and Xander watched them walk away they couldn't help but stare at the growing affection between the two.

"You think Buffy likes Faith? You know, in _that_ way?", asked the young man who was now craving for more muffins.

"Oh please, she couldn't be more obvious if she threw her on the floor right now", scoffed Cordelia as she worked out the last of the pretzel that had got stuck between her teeth.

"Me Faith, Faith like Buffy", she said in the neanderthalic way that always made the blonde giggle.

"Well Buffy like Faith too, wait what am I saying? I mean, yes Faith, I like you too so in order to answer your question, yes I will go out with you"

"Really?"

"Of course, dummy", Buffy said as she lightly swatted at the brunette's arm.

"Damn, this really is the best birthday ever!", Faith said as she hugged her tightly.

"I think we should go back in", Buffy said as she could hear the party in full swing. Though most of the revellers winced at the music that reverberated around the place that Faith now proudly called home.

"Ok", replied Faith as she took the blonde by the hand and lead her back into the gaudily decorated living room.

"So what did Giles and Jenny get you?", asked Willow as she handed her gift to the brunette who couldn't stop beaming

"Well I wanted a Bon Jovi pinata, but instead they got me tickets to see the greatest band ever"

"Wyld Stallyns?", butted in Xander.

"No, dumbass, Dropkick Murphys"

"Who?"

"Don't worry, they got four tickets so we can all see 'em. Two weeks time in LA, it's gonna be fuckin' awesome...shit Red, thanks. This is wicked cool", Faith said with a bizarrely girly squeal as she unwrapped the pestle and mortar Willow had bought her so she could grind up her spices and things. Maybe a little weed too.

"No problem", the redhead said back with a genuine smile as she tried to pry the arms of Faith from her torso. After a rocky start they had started to bond and even hung out together. Just the two of them, and it had become a weekly ritual that both looked forward to.

"I guess I got me some grinding to do, I just gotta check what's in stock", Faith crowed as she pointed to the spice rack that Xander had spent the last two weeks working on. Though he was low on cash young Mr Harris was high on affection for the girl and so, taking Faith's own desire to explore her hidden talents as inspiration, he had resolved himself to make her a gift that would give him as much pleasure in creating as she would garner from receiving. He included a space for cumen which most people overlook.

Wearing her black leather lace up pumps by Dior with the open toe to show off her meticulously painted nails, Buffy took a seat next to Faith trying not to be too obvious with her flirting. But seeing as everyone else seemed to know about their mutual attraction before they did, it was a pointless task.

"So what else did Jenny and Giles get you, heh, it's weird calling her by her first name"

"Only outside school Xander", Jenny called from the kitchen.

"Yes Miss", he said back out of instinct.

"They got me these wicked cool knives for cooking and shit. They said I can use 'em all the time just as long as I don't try to juggle 'em or throw 'em at the stupid kid who lives down the street", Faith continued as she snapped open the exquisite case they came in.

Each black handle on the knives was engraved with a silver F in an exotic font and, as the birthday girl stroked each one, she fought to hold back the tears. For that morning, when she unwrapped the gift of fine blades, she hugged Giles tightly and called him the name she had been trying to summon the courage to do for the few weeks. That of 'Dad'. Upon hearing that simple word Giles had increased his embrace to a lung purging degree. It was the greatest monosyllabic utterance he had ever heard.

"Well the knives and tickets are cool as fuck, though I did want another tattoo"

"NO!", yelled both Giles and Jenny from the other room with an eerie sense of hearing.

"How do you think I'd look with a tattoo?", asked Buffy as she stroked her fingers across the brunette's tribal ink.

"B, why put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari?"

They giggled together and shared a secret look. They believed it was _their_ secret look but in the recent weeks and months everyone knew it's significance, and sighed that the two girls hadn't yet accepted what was obvious to them all.

"Oh Faith, sorry I'm late but _business_ in LA took longer than I thought, here, happy birthday", Joyce said as she wandered in through the open front door and handed the brunette a gift. The proximity of Buffy to Faith didn't come as a surprise to her, it seemed that the long talk with her daughter had finally paid dividends.

"Thanks Mrs S", Faith said as she gave her a quick but affectionate hug.

Tearing the paper decorated with cookies off the large present, Faith had to take a moment to gulp away yet another tear as she ran her fingers over the tome before her.

"Thanks, i-it's great", she said as flicked through the Encyclopedia Gastronomique. The holy book for those of a culinary persuasion.

"Hi Joyce, glad you made it. Wine?", asked Jenny as she gave a quick kiss of welcome on Joyce's cheek. Then another, how European.

"No thanks, I'm driving. Wow, I didn't think you'd be able to convince Faith go all out with balloons and streamers and everything."

"That was Rupert's idea, we just said that Faith could bake her own birthday cake if we got to decorate. You know how she is with cake"

Giles just blushed as his inner child was exposed, but he shook it off and lit the last of the candles picking up the cake in the shape of Kenny from South Park. It seemed that even in cake form the poor hooded child was to perish.

The adults came back into the living room interrupting Faith and Dawn air guitaring to 'Good Rats' so they could all sing to her. She blushed and tried not to smile but having not had the birthday song sung to her since she lived with Diana, she felt more touched and more honored than ever.

"Make a wish", said Giles with the broadest of grins.

But Faith didn't have to. Seeing the room full of people who genuinely cared for her, her friends, family and most importantly, Buffy. This was more than any wish could grant and more than she ever dared dream could be real.

Leaning forward she blew out the candles and smiled as her loved ones clapped in congratulation. Biting her lip she leant back, finding that Buffy had manouevred herself so she was now wrapping her arms around the brunette. The soft contractions of Faith's body as she fought to hold back the tears warmed Buffy's heart all the more as they resonated through her body.

Later, as the party fizzled out, Faith took Buffy to one side.

"B, I just wanna say..thanks. Not just for tonight 'cos it was fucking' awesome, but I mean for everything", she said with a startling honesty.

"You're welcome F", the lusty blonde said back with a cheeky smile.

Before anymore words could rebound between the two they found themselves in the greatest, most longed for moment of their lives. Their first kiss.

_END EXCESSIVELY LARGE AMOUNTS OF FLASHBACKS_

Joyce shuffled her weight from foot to bunioned foot as she tried to summon the courage to knock on the door. It was just a wooden door, but on the other side she feared what she would find. Rejection? Anger? A suicide note written in the finest penmanship?

Before she could rap her knuckles on the door, it opened.

"Joyce", said Bette curtly. Her earlier hurt had diminished slightly but not enough to forgive the woman who stood in front of her.

"Honey, I'm so, so sorry. I wanted to tell you, tell them, about this...us... but I was so scared they would look at me differently. I was stupid, I was...an idiot, I know I've hurt you, so badly, but I want to make it up to you. Please, will you just give me a chance?", said Joyce as her voice took on a begging stance. She willed her tears back but when confronted with the beauty standing before her, upon seeing the pain that nestled behind those deep brown eyes, the warm salty droplets defied her and slipped out.

"Joyce...I...want to, I really do. But I was so...oh god, Joyce I felt so stupid being here. Seeing them all in your house, I just realised all the things that I thought would happen, that I would..._could_ be part of your life...your family...it all shattered right in front of me."

"But you _are_ part of my life, I want that more than anything. I want you to meet them...all of them...properly. I talked with Buffy and Dawn and, god bless them, they were ok with it."

"But...what now? Where do we go from here?", said the brunette softly as nervously played with the rings on her fingers.

"Bette, would you do me the honor of being my 'plus one' at the wedding. I really want you there, I want to show everyone the woman that I love, 'cos I do, I really, really am head over heels in love with you. I'm so sorry for being so stupid and selfish, but come with me...please", she ended with a squeal as her tears flowed more freely, her heart clenching tightly knowing that this could be the last time she would ever see Bette. And she didn't blame her if she never wanted to see her again, it was her fault that everything that was so good between had got so messed up so quickly.

"Joyce...shhh", whispered Bette as she pulled the sobbing woman into her arms. They held each other tightly and let all their emotions flood freely into each others souls. The hurt, the loneliness, the fear, all of it mingled within their heated embrace.

Bette pulled Joyce back slightly and looked deep into her reddening eyes.

"Joyce, I would love to be your date for the wedding"

"Really?"

"Yes, really"

Without another word need said they clashed their lips together and whispered words of love and sorrow as they made their way into the hotel room. A few seconds later, Bette popped her head out into the hallway and placed the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door handle whilst Joyce text Buffy saying that she wouldn't be home tonight.

No further explanation was needed.

(To be continued - almost there now)


	5. Chapter 5

( This chapter is nowhere near what I had originally planned, so just go with it ok? Sorry to disappoint)

"So are you ready? Gosh, you look beautiful", the blonde said as she stared with mischievous intent at the wide hipped figure of her girlfriend. She smiled widely as she repeated the term over and over to herself - _girlfriend_. It was as wonderful a sound as she could imagine and, despite her reservations, Joyce knew that this was everything she ever wanted from life and, now it had been offered to her, she was not going to let it slip away.

"So do you", Bette replied as she took Joyce's hand and leant in for a kiss.

The last couple of days had been a torrent of admission and guilt, of desire and regret. But now, here, they had found themselves across the murky waters of denial and were ready to face their first public exposure. Together.

They pressed their lips together and felt complete, like all the trials and tribulations that had been their lives thus far were all just preperation for this moment, that their whole existence up until this point was merely a waiting game. For they had found what they had both been so desperately searching for, and they would be damned if a few raised eyebrows and petty snide remarks would taint the pure and honest love they had found with each other.

Taking Joyce's hand into her own, their fingers clasped around each others like they were made to fit. Fingers that were now glistening after the lengthy stay at Joyce's usual boutique where she had revelled and squirmed in equal measures at announcing just who was accompanying her. Her girlfriend, her daughters...and a pissed off brunette who moaned incessantly at the enforced femininity she would have to endure for the impending nuptials.

Bette started to walk down the aisle with her lover. Ignoring the stunned looks of some guests their hearts were bolstered when they saw the wide grins of Buffy's friends and that meant more to them than anything, not that they needed validation, but they still found it in the happy smiles of Willow and Xander.

Taking their seats in the front row they refused to let go of the others hand as they felt the love flow between them, though fatigue coupled them both after last night's foray into wild monkey sex which had Buffy banging on Joyce's bedroom door in the early hours. Apologies and the application of Ben-Gay were the orders of the day come morning.

"You feeling better now? Man, it ain't good to be woken up by someone upchucking like they just heard St Anger for the first time", asked Faith as she took in the replenishing complexion of Jenny.

"I'm fine, just nerves and all that. Plus, having my mother here is always a stressful encounter"

"Say that again, she keeps bitchin' at me about lookin' more ladylike. I mean what is her problem? Just 'cos I don't wear crap like this all the time she thinks it gives her a license to have a pop all the time"

"Faith, will you stop fidgeting", snapped Buffy as she watched her girlfriend once again play with the spaghetti straps of her dress.

"But it's pissin' me off, still don't see why I can't wear my leathers", she huffed back.

"Look, there's no need to throw a Wendy, and anyway, it's my wedding so you wear the dress _I_ picked out, besides lilac looks good on you. You can wear all the leather you want when you get married", Jenny said as she pinned her veil in place.

"Cool"

"Oh no, not cool. Most definitely not of the cool, when _we_ get married it's going to be flower girls and organs all the way...don't even think of it, Faith!"

The brunette closed her mouth but still smirked as she knew that the organ joke was already in the blonde's mind. But after a second, the message within Buffy's words revealed itself to the brunette with a startling clarity.

"When _we_ get married? Woah, B, I ain't down for that just yet, I mean we're only seventeen and I thought we were going to have a long relationship before we even started to think about shit like that besides..."

But her rant was cut off by the laughter of Jenny and Buffy as they shared a look. Between the two of them they had come close to perfecting the art of Faith manipulation.

"Hey, no ganging up on me! Shit, I thought you, as my new Mom, would take my side"

"Of course I do Faith, but it's so easy to see you freak out over issues like that", Jenny said as, although it had been a long route to get to this point, she truly loved Faith despite her bad language and annoying habit of leaving her boots in the doorway so they would be tripped over.

"Sorry baby, I couldn't resist it. But still..you know...one day", Buffy said back.

"Yeah _ONE _day, not _TO_day", Faith responded but whenever her petite lover fired off _that_ pout she knew she was unable to resist anything Buffy asked. Deep down she knew that the countdown to her own wedding had already started.

The blonde's heart was rattling around inside her as she drank in the sight of her irritated girlfriend. Her hair was up and, via a threat by Jenny of no more cable access, she even had a flower neatly tucked into it. Trying not to succumb to her growing desire to _finally_ let Faith have her wicked way with her, Buffy changed subject as today was not about them.

"You know, I hear that the average American spends over $40,000 on their wedding", said Buffy as she fluffed up the voluminous dress of the nervous bride-to-be.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not an average American", replied Jenny.

"Why, because you don't weigh three hundred pounds and you actually _have_ a job?", mocked Drusilla in her typical display of colonial baiting.

Faith burst out laughing, she admired Dru for her candidness and she knew that the English eccentric would always have her back. They were family now, sort of, or would be one day. It was all so confusing.

"Now Drusilla, this is not the time nor the place for your particular brand of humor, though I will miss it when you're gone...and when will that be again?", said Jenny even though she still believed in the old tradition of lying on your wedding day would bring you misfortune.

"Don't worry _Aunt_ Jenny, you'll be seeing quite a lot of me for a while"

"Meaning?"

"I've been accepted to Sunnydale U, studying psychology", Drusilla replied as she picked idly at the wildflowers in the vase on the windowsill.

"Cool", Faith exclaimed,"but this isn't one of those fake out things is it, like you did when you got me to try black pudding?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It was like plague in a tube!", crowed Faith as she tossed her camera from one hand to the next.

"Please, it's a common foodstuff back home, and a staple of my diet", scoffed Drusilla.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna believe someone that's named after a zoo? Yeah, Spike told me ya little secret"

"Girls please", snapped Jenny as she picked up her bouquet.

"Sorry", said Drusilla as she smiled at the ease with which she could toy with people.

"Yeah, sorry Mo...er, Jen", Faith adjusted quickly. Though she loved Jenny she was still nervous about telling her just how much she meant to her.

Jenny just smiled and swallow the lump that had formed in her throat, though after a day like this and all the tears it would bring, she was so happy to finally be able to officially be part of a real family. Something that Giles, Faith and Jenny had been aching for all their lives.

"Are you ready?", asked Buffy as she took a step back and watched as the almost-bride glowed before her.

"Yes sweetie, I think I am. Mom, did you take your pills?"

"Uhh?", the elderly woman drawled back with dilating pupils.

"Perfect. Let's go", said Jenny with a smile as she took her overly medicated mother by the arm and signalled for the music to start.

"You know it's not too late, you could still run outta here and jump on the first flight back to Blighty. This is definitely a brown trouser affair after all", said Spike as he watched Giles fumble with his neckwear one more time.

"No. There is no power on this earth that could make me back out of this", he said back to his best man with utter conviction.

"Come 'ere", the peroxide addict said as he reached forward to adjust his uncle's bow tie.

As Spike's hands tightened the knot they shared a small smile of familial longing.

"I just wish your father could have been here, William", said Giles softly.

"Yeah, I miss him too", replied Spike as he felt a tear build, "So, you ready for the ol' ball and chain?", he continued shaking off his moment of sadness with a grin.

"Don't call her that, at least not within earshot. But yes, yes I am"

As the music lilted through the church the assembled mass of guests stood. Some friends, some family, some here because of the most glorious coupling of words in the english language - open bar.

Joyce and Bette couldn't help the smiles tinged with tears that sprang on their faces as they squeezed hands. They watched Jenny breeze down the aisle to the traditional wedding march and not 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter' as Faith had recommended, and Joyce couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, one day she would be the one to glide down the aisle to meet her beloved and exchange vows before their friends and families. She shook her head as thoughts such as those should be a long, _looooong_ way off. Shouldn't they?

Jenny stopped by the altar, a seething mass of nerves and chiffon, and just smiled as Giles lifted her veil back. He was greeted by a vision of flawless beauty that, for reasons he still couldn't quite fathom, wanted to marry _him_.

Buffy and Faith held hands as the couple before them exchanged their long awaited 'I do's' and the tears flowed freely. They inched closer together and shuddered when the soft skin of their arms came into contact with each other as they tried to steady their breathing. But teenage hormones and a beautful setting made it hard for them not to shred their ridiculously overpriced dresses and...well, you know. Giggidy-giggidy.

Willow stared at them a little jealous as Xander tried to cover his crotch again.

"So, I guess we should talk?", said Buffy as she stared at her mom's new girlfriend while they circled the edge of the dancefloor. The reception was in full swing and despite the blonde girl's reservations she knew she would have to confront this new woman in her life with a genuine heart to heart.

"I guess we should. Shall we?", Bette said as she gestured to the doors that opened out onto the patio garden of the grandest hotel in Sunnydale.

Joyce looked on with a certain apprehension for as much as she loved both women currently standing outside in the cool evening air, she knew there would be complications ahead. Buffy's stubborness being a major factor, but that said, Bette was no pushover.

"So, what do you think they're talkin' about?", asked Faith as she swayed in Joyce's arms to the insipid ballads the DJ seemed to have a thing for.

"I don't know, but I hope this is going to work. For all of us"

"S'ok, I think everything's kinda crazy at the moment. We just gotta let the dust settle and see what's what. After all, I'm still working on the whole being part of a family thing. I got me a relatively new dad and new stepmom, but honestly, what more could I ask for? Maybe my own TV show, riding across the country on my bike cooking at every hick town and cajun settlement"

"Stepmom? H-how do you think Buffy will react if she had one. A stepmom, that is?", Joyce asked nervously as she caught the gaze of her daughter's girlfriend.

"Really? You're _that_ serious? Wow", the brunette said back as she stopped dancing for a moment and pulled her eyebrows back down from their lofty residence.

"I know, big wow"

"Hey, you're way too old to talk like that", Faith said with her usual cheeky smirk which earned her a light swat of the shoulder.

"Very funny, but seriously, do you think Buffy will be open to it. I know Dawn is, she's much more easy going, but Buffy can be kind of possessive when it comes to her dear old Mom. I know Buffy said she's ok with Bette and I being together, but still..."

"I think it would be kinda hard but she'll get used to it. But don't you worry Mrs S, I gotcha back, you know that right?"

"Yes, I know that Faith, and thankyou, for everything. I owe you alot, and don't call me Mrs Summers anymore. It's Joyce. No more formalities, understand?"

"Yes Ma'am", she grinned back deploying that cocky smile that Joyce loved about her. It's dimpled sweetness on that heart shaped face seemed familiar for some reason but Joyce couldn't quite put her finger on it.

As the two women danced, Faith praying that they would put on some Pennywise at some point soon, they moved around the floor just enjoying the time and the moment. By dint of past experience they knew that the good times had to be savored and held onto tightly for as long as possible for who knows just what Madame Fate had in store for them.

"Oh, hang on, be back in a bit", said the beantown girl as she spied someone enter the room and look around slightly apprehensive. Faith shot a full smile at the guest, one Cordelia Chase, who, upon feeling it's full power, fired back a wide grin of her own.

"Glad you could make it Cor", said Faith as she gave her friend a quick hug. Cordelia's dislike of Faith had thawed noticably since the headbutting of Xander, but after the incident outside Chase Manor a few weeks earlier, she had grown even fonder of the Boston girl and had fast become her best friend.

"Cordy, what are you doing here?", blustered out Xander as he tried to smooth down his unruly cowlicks.

"Forget it Harris, I'm not here because of you. It's over, and as much as it hurt me at the time ...well, I forgive you...and Willow too. I'm here because Faith asked me", said Cordelia as she twirled around her gift in her fingers anxiously looking for the recently spliced.

"Really? You forgive me? Well, ok, thanks", Xander said back as although he was still racked with guilt, at least his ex-girlfriend had been big enough to let by-gones be by-gones. It filled him with a new flavor of shame but now she had officially forgiven him he hoped it could start a new chapter of their friendship. But it was still very early days and the wounds were still healing.

"C'mon Cor, I'll show you where to put your present...and where to get a drink", Faith said as she slipped her arm through Cordelia's and lead her across the room.

"So...you really think this is going to work", whispered Cordelia.

"Trust me ok...it'll work. Now just do what I told ya and everything will be cool, so go and wait 'cos I gotta dance to finish"

"Dawn, do you want to come and dance with your Mom", said Joyce as she saw the miserable youngling in the corner. Her boyfriend had dumped her the day before and though it hadn't been serious she wanted more than anything to be able to attend a function with a date. To prove that she was no longer the dappy young girl that followed the latest MTV sponsored trends and was now on the brink of womanhood.

"I gotta go find B, make sure she isn't hitting anyone with a silver serving tray. And by _anyone_, I mean a certain hottie who just happens to be banging her Mom", Faith said as she broke away from Joyce.

"Faith!", said Joyce with a slight blush but before she could run after the girl, Dawn took her mother's hand and started to dance, instantly and visibly cheering.

"So Mom, you really _do_ love her then?", said the young girl, though Joyce was astonished at how much her baby girl had grown and was now almost at eye level with her.

"Yes honey, I really do", she replied as she saw Bette and Buffy come back into the room, not bleeding nor threatening each other with pitchforks, but smiling widely. Joyce let out a deep sigh of gratitude as whatever was said between the two had settled any worries. This, for now, was more than enough for Joyce.

"Mom, when are you going to tell Grandma and Grampa? They'll be coming to town for my birthday won't they? Maybe you could tell them then, it's not that long away now is it?", said Dawn, combining her curiosity with her mother's 'coming out' and, now there was a new element to their family, hinting at the possibility of more presents than usual.

"Huh? I er...god, I haven't even thought about it. Telling them that is, not your birthday as that is all well in hand, how about we let all this settle down and then I...I guess I'll tell them", said Joyce as she felt a sudden chill erupt from within her. She was never that sure about her parents take on matters of the heart such as this, especially after the Thanksgiving when Hank and her father had that huge argument which lead to strained relations for many years.

Dawn could feel her mother stiffen in her embrace and so kissed her lovingly on the cheek.

"Don't worry Mom, we'll all be here for you...no matter what"

"Thankyou sweetheart, I love you", Joyce said through a teary eyed sheen.

"I love you too Mom", said Dawn as she pulled away from her mother as she just smiled as her extended family circled round her.

"S'up Beeps?", asked Faith in her usual bravura display as Bette and Buffy came up to them.

"Beeps?", asked Joyce as she looked at her lover who was sliding easily into her arms like she was a perfect mould for the molten desire that Bette brought out in her.

"It started off as B, but with Buffy here it got confusing so it became BP, then it somehow evolved into 'Beeps'", replied Bette with a warm grin. She felt giddy everytime one of her, she hoped, new extended family talked to her in the familial manner she had yearned for.

"I can do it with most peeps too, you wanna name Jo-Jo?", asked the brunette as Joyce rolled her eyes.

"Faith no, as I've explained to you before, your ability to come up with nicknames is not a legitimate X-Men power", chided Buffy in her usual playful way as she hugged her girlfriend from behind and desperately tried to keep her hands from wandering up and cupping Faith's 'weighted aggregates'.

"So have you totally given up LA?", asked Dawn as she could sense the love radiating from both her mother and Bette.

"Yes, well not totally, I still have my sister there. Oh Joyce, you haven't met Kit yet have you?. She's been _away _for a while but now she's firmly on the wagon I think it's time for you to meet", said Bette as she wondered what her girlfriend would make of her often inebriated sibling.

"I'd love to"

"Great, how about if I invite some of the girls here for a weekend, that way we can all be properly introduced", said Bette with a smile.

"I don't see why not, I like your friends. It'll be fun to have them here in good ol' Sunnydale"

"You owe me ten bucks. I knew you couldn't go an entire day without at least one Futurama referrence", said Buffy with a chirpy sneer.

"Crap it", Faith sighed but she really didn't mind the loss of cash as having her love by her side was all the treasure she would ever need.

"So anyway, you were saying?", said Xander as he wondered just how bad Faith's ADD was to fly off on a tangent mid sentence.

"Oh yeah sorry, I just think Red is an emo heiress on the brink of coronation, we just have to save her from a life of mittens and corduroy", said Faith as she clinked wine glasses with Xander, taking care that her father didn't see her partaking in the fermented grape of a fine year.

"I just hate seeing her so lonely, after the Oz thing I thought she would be happier as I know she didn't really feel for him what he felt for her", replied Xander with concern for his best friend.

"Don't worry about Red, in ten years time when she's too busy to answer our calls 'cos she chairing a UN committee or somethin' at least we can say we knew her back in the day. That we were her friends before the Nobel prize and all her doctor-y prizes for doctoring."

"You really _do_ have a way with words you know", said Willow as she came up behind Faith, Buffy and Xander making them jump. "But..do you mean that...about...you know"

"Wouldn't say it if it weren't true baby", Faith said with her full on dimples, "You know you're a hottie and if I weren't with B, I'd be right in there with you"

"Really?", said Willow with shock.

"Really?", said Buffy equally, if not more, shocked.

"Really. Now let's go for a walk, I think we need to discuss something", Faith said as she broke away from her girlfriend's arms. Before going she gave Buffy a quick peck on the nose to save any more pouting from the blonde as Faith wanted those sweet lips in full working order later on. For she had plans.

"B..but..."

Before Willow could stammer out her protests in controlled bursts of mistimed syllables, Faith took her by the hand and dragged her out into the cool evening air.

Xander smiled and loosened his tie a little as all the mini quiches he had ingested were starting to take their toll. Even though he knew they would likely clog one or more of his orifices the next morning, he didn't really care. He was at the most important event of the social calendar and was morbidly single, every girl he even looked at seemed to be taken, gay or bear an uncanny resemblence to Idi Amin.

"Xander, you're here alone aren't you?", asked Jenny shaking him from his deluge of self pity.

"Please don't remind me", he said with a hint of regret at mistreating Cordelia and leaving him alone with only memories and a stack of Faith's old porn mags to keep him company.

"Well, I'd like you to meet my niece. Xander this is Anya", said the newly married woman with a grin as she shoved a pretty young girl towards him.

"H-hi", he squeaked out with a helium tone and wished he had his crotch covering cushion with him.

"Yeah you can cut the cake now, I think I've taken enough photos of it for my portfolio", said Faith as he stared over her creation one last time before it would find it's way into the gullets of many people she didn't know.

"It's looks amazing baby", gushed Buffy as she stood next to her love, "Did you hear back from that job?"

"Yeah, I start work next week, just the assistant sous chef at Chez Lionelle's but it's a start. And anything involving cooking will look good on my application to the CIA"

"You're really serious about this aren't you"

"Yep, me and Dad had a long talk about all this shit and..well, I think I can do it. I _want_ to do it.", said Faith with a serious tone.

"Then I'm behind you one hundred percent, just as long as I still get my muffins"

"I'll give you all the muffin you want B"

"Was that meant to be a sex joke?"

"Meant to be, didn't really work did it?"

"No"

"Nevermind. Oh, before we go remind to ask Red about her mom's cake", Faith said as she thought of the shy redhead she had left outside with a certain somebody, she just hoped that she had done the right thing.

"Her mom's cake? Is _that_ meant to be a sex joke?"

"No, ewwww B! It's like Passover or somethin' next week so Red asked me to do something special for her and her Mom, I just gotta ask her about allergies n' shit like that"

"Ah, that makes sense. Oh, did you ever hear back from those judges?"

"Yeah, I gotta call from them yesterday, sorry I meant to tell you but with all the crazy shit of the wedding I just forgot. But anyway, they accepted my apology, stupid fuckers gettin' all pissy at me just 'cos I...", Faith moaned as she thought of her temper enrichened spat at the cooking contest she had competed in mere weeks earlier.

"But what did they say?"

"I got another chance, there's another contest at the end of the month, up in LA. I hope it goes better than the last one"

"Well it couldn't be much worse could it? I think...well, you just need to be yourself, besides the big white chef's hat and checked pants didn't really work on you"

"Made you laugh though...for fuckin' hours", grimaced the brunette as, though she was loathe to admit it, when Buffy first saw Faith in her proper chef's whites she had laughed incessantly and teased her to the point where Faith felt genuinely hurt. She felt that the one person she thought she could always count on was mocking her for just trying to be someone. 

"I said I was sorry about that"

"You still haven't made it up to me you know"

"Do you have a plan?"

"Oh yes, one with you, me and...mmmm", Faith said as she scooped up a large dollop of cream from the cake and drew it seductively into her mouth. Her glossy lips sliding along her finger with an exagerrated moan.

Buffy's eyes opened wide and made a mental note to steal as much cake as she could. She knew that her mother and Bette would be _busy_ tonight and with Faith staying at her house for the next two weeks, in her bed too, she was ready to give that last past of herself to her girlfriend.

"Can we just stop playing the apology game. You're sorry, Xander's sorry...and so am I. We've all done some stupid things in the past and regretted them and yes, you both hurt me but it's not like I never hurt you, all those years I was so mean to you...it's just because...well...I was in denial, _waaaayyy_ in denial. For a hell of a long time I had all these feelings and I didn't know how to deal with them, so instead of dealing I just went with the queen bitch routine. But I've been playing that role for so long...I don't know how to be anything else", said Cordelia as she nervously shuffled around from one finely pedicured foot to the other.

"Cordy, why are you teling me this?", asked Willow as, she too, felt the unforgiving grasp of trepidation. She had spent the last few minutes in a daze after Faith had lead her into the secluded end of the patio garden. Once she saw Cordelia standing in the moonlight looking radiant in a low cut peach sundress and holding a single red rose, she feared what would follow. But she wasn't expecting this.

"Let me cut to the chase, no pun intended, when we were freshmen I started to see you _differently_. I was so jealous of the bond you had with Xander so that's why I had to hate you and treat you like crap. I thought that if I hated you...then I wouldn't have to admit to myself that I...loved you. I think that's why I went out with Xander, so I could be close to you without being too obvious, I mean I liked Xander, but as a friend that's all, that's why I never let him get very far. But once the whole cheating thing came up, well everyone rallied around you and Xander and I was just left with nothing...and no-one. Only Faith. I know it must sound stupid but she really is the only real friend I actually have anymore"

"She's my friend too Cordy...wait... did you say you _love _me?", said Willow as her fingers tightened around the stem of the rose that sat in her sweaty palm.

"Yes. And I do. I know after everything that's gone down between us, I've probably screwed up any chance I ever had with you but Faith and I have been talking...a lot. And she made me realise that if I was ever going to be happy I needed to drop the bitch act and start being...me. The real me. The one I never let any of you see, except for Faith that is. When I see her and Buffy together, well I want some of that...not like that of course, I mean how close and loving they are"

"It's almost sickening how in love they are isn't it?"

"God yeah. But I'm so damn tired of failure dates and horny idiots pawing over me in the backseat of their father's car. It's what was expected of me, not who I really am.", said Cordelia as she took a deep breath and stared into Willow's eyes through a misty glare, "I am Cordelia Chase, I am gay...and I'm in love with you Willow Rosenberg"

Cordelia breathed the biggest sigh of relief as she had finally had the courage to admit just who she really was. And admitted it to the one she had always wanted to. She bit her lip as Willow just opened and closed her mouth as a blush infused her soft skin.

"I..I...I..", the redhead babbled as Cordelia's shoulders slumped and her heart felt a sudden and painful kick. Her fear of rejection was something that had crippled her for a long time, hence her faux nonchalance when it came to emotional matters.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...I should go", Cordelia blustered out as she grabbed her clutch purse and the first stray tear slid down her cheek.

"Wait", said Willow as she caught the brunette's arm as she tried to barge past her. Even thought the redhead's mind was on the verge of capsizing she knew that this was the moment she had been craving for.

"Cordelia, I know how you feel. You hurt me so much in school when you were so mean to me when all I wanted to be was your friend...well, more than a friend actually", she said as her hands began to tremble as she swept the rogue tear off Cordelia's cheek. But seeing as Cordelia had just bared her heart then so could she, and be damned with the consequences. It was fortunate that her resolve had been bolstered by the alcohol that Faith had been encouraging her to drink.

"Wait...do you...are you...", said Cordelia as she tried to figure out just what she meant. Before her brain could decipher the redhead's words, Willow took a deep breath and crashed her wine stained lips into Cordelia's. The entire world faded away until all that was left was this one perfect kiss.

"I think I can see why Xander wanted to kiss you.", said Cordelia as they broke for air.

"But what about _this_?"

"So far...I'd say it's going pretty well", replied the brunette as she stroked her delicate fingertips across the redhead's cheek.

"How is it going to go, for us I mean? I don't want to be some dirty secret of a sad girl who's just trying to get some", said Willow in all seriousness.

"No, I don't want that with you. I want to do this right...from the start, I don't want anything to hold us back. As for the others? They'll deal, but er, so, er, do you think you might...I dunno..want to get some...coffee or something sometime", Cordelia said as her nerves commandeered her emotions once more.

"I think I would", said Willow softly as her eyes glistened with an excitement she hadn't felt since the chemistry lab at school got new microscopes. Seeing the real Cordelia Chase for the first time in her life was a shock to her but now the brunette had finally shown her true colors, Willow was more than intrigued as to where this would lead.

"Cool", said Cordelia and, in the half light of the furthest end of the patio garden where no-one could see, pressed her lips once more to Willow's. Their soft flesh rippled with the desire and longing that had plagued them for many a sleepless night. But now, as their tongues slipped out, they felt more alive than they had ever felt and gave no thought to just what the future might bring.

"I catch ya later then", Faith said as she bounded up to her father for a goodbye hug. Due to her pumps biting at her toes it was more of a controlled stagger than a bound really.

"I'll call you when we arrive, ok", Giles said as he hugged his daughter lovingly, smirking as he watched Spike slyly removing the silverware from the purse of his light fingered fiance.

"Fair enough, but I got a surprise for ya", she said with a smirk.

"Oh god, it's not another piercing is it?", he sighed after he had overheard an earlier conversation that involved a sharp needle and an intimate area.

"No, well not yet anyway, and not one I'm gonna show _you_. It's just I know if it was up to you, you would whisk Jen away for ya honeymoon on a magnificent steed...or a penny farthing or something."

"Well I wasn't thinking of being that dramatic"

"Whatever, 'cos you ain't going anywhere in that shitheap that you call a car", scoffed Faith as Jenny came out to join them by the grand entrance of the hotel.

"What do you mean?", Giles asked.

"It's so gay. I mean, you having sex with another man would be _less_ gay than driving that", his daughter scoffed as she pulled off her shoes and made a resolution not to wear heels ever again. Or not until Buffy pouted at her until she did.

"But what do you suggest we use?", added Jenny whose face was aching from smiling for the last eight hours.

"I got Beeps to lend you her BMW. It's a sweet fuckin' ride, besides, you ain't goin' anywhere are ya?", Faith said as she turned to the striking woman behind her.

"No, Faith", Bette said as she held Joyce's hand even tighter and looked deep into her lover's eyes, "I'm not going _anywhere_"

"See, now get going", said Faith as she hugged Jenny one last time and bundled them into the car.

The assembled guests gave a drunken cheer as the happy couple drove off into the night. The dull haze of streetlights taking the lisp from the stars that had come out to honor the love that swarmed beneath their glassy gaze.

"No, don't turn on the light!", Buffy said as Faith opened the bedroom door, "Did you break something?"

"Oh the crashing sound in the kitchen? Weren't me babe, I think ya Mom and Beeps are doin' the nasty"

"Again? Jeez, they're like rabbits", the blonde sighed.

"Did ya get some cake?", asked Faith as she stood by the now closed door with her fingers dancing on the switch.

"Oh yeah...you can turn on the lights now", Buffy purred.

Faith flicked on the switch and her mouth fell open. Buffy was lying on her bed naked, a piece of cake cut into the shape of a heart resting on her taut stomach with a blob of cream topped off with a cherry on each nipple.

"I couldn't find a plate", Buffy shrugged, "I thought you might prefer a platter like this"

Faith's bridesmaids dress was instantly torn in two and the matching underwear she was forced to wear soon found itself on the nightstand.

"Roxie"

"Yeah, Velma", replied Buffy using the nicknames they had taken for each other after watching Chicago a few days earlier. Though Faith had assumed a women in prison flick would involve more handcuffs and shower scenes.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

"_Good thing I ain't diabetic", _thought the brunette as she launched herself onto her girlfriend. For more than one reason, they would have to change the sheets in the morning.

"What is it honey? You've been a little quieter than usual all night, I noticed you weren't drinking either" said Giles before swearing as he veered back on the correct side of the road.

"It's nothing, it's just today's been amazing and I didn't want any alcohol to fuzz my memories of it, I wanted to remember every little detail... I really love you, sweetie", Jenny said as she slid her hand over his and gripped his fingers tightly.

"I love you too...so damn much"

They spent the next few minutes in silence as Jenny finally gave up trying to get the temperamental cd player to work. She knew that this was finally the time and as much as she didn't want to tarnish their special day, she realised that she had to tell him now.

"Just one thing I've been meaning to tell you Rupey", Jenny started as they turned on to the freeway .

"What's that my love?"

"I'm pregnant"

THE END

(Woah, check it out, I actually finished a fic, bugger me! I know this last chapter has raised many questions but fear not my faithful followers, yes all four of you, though this fic is finished think of it more as an end to act one. There will be sequels such as the cleverly titled 'Plus Two' where much more is explained. And lots more B&F antics and L Word fun! But a huge thankyou for reading, should help me through the barren months of piss poor writing. See y'all after the World Cup)


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